The city of Findlay may consider purchasing an aerial truck for its Fire Department to replace a combined ladder and pumper truck built in 1996.

Service-Safety Director Paul Schmelzer told City Council on Tuesday that the five-year capital plan “calls for an expenditure of $700,000″ for such a vehicle, and that a truck committee, comprised of representatives from the three fire battalions, has been studying the department’s fleet needs.

The subject will be discussed at council’s next Appropriations Committee meeting.

Schmelzer also told council that Gilbane Building Co. has offered to pay for two-thirds of the cost of upgrades to the Fire Department’s crane rescue equipment, estimated to cost $15,000.

The company has been coordinating with the department on crane rescue training, particularly at Marathon Petroleum Corp.’s construction site.

The new equipment “will enhance the safety of (Marathon) contracts, our staff, and workers in the future,” Schmelzer said.

Separately, in an apparent wrist slap to administrators, council on Tuesday used an ordinance as a reminder that they want high-dollar projects clearly separated from minor budget matters.

An ordinance before council originally mixed a $140,000 sewer cleaning appropriation with four other grants that each totaled less than $2,000. The legislation was similar to ordinances approved in the past that lumped various requests together.

“The sewer funding in regards to cleaning is pretty significant and really doesn’t follow the other requests,” said 6th Ward Councilman Andy Douglas. He moved to separate that item from the others, and his colleagues concurred.

“We’ve asked on multiple occasions that on ordinances such as this, that the large amounts be separated,” Douglas said.

Holly Frische, 1st Ward councilwoman, said she agreed with Douglas because she wants to “keep things clean and separate.”

Randy Van Dyne, 2nd Ward councilman, complained that council was “wasting a lot of time” even discussing it.

“This could’ve easily been handled by making a request to not do this next time,” Van Dyne said.